Legal History of CBD

For many people who are interested in natural health products, hemp-based products like CBD may seem a bit difficult to find and acquire. Despite hemp’s long history in the health field, as well as many other industrial and manufacturing applications, its association with marijuana has greatly limited its adoption and acceptance in the health community at large. To be clear, CBD and other derivatives of the cannabis plant, unlike marijuana, are legal in all 50 states.

The legal growing, possession, and usage of the hemp plant extends back to pre-Civil War times in the United States. The 2014 Farm Bill Act codified the legality of hemp products so long as they contained less than 0.3% THC by weight. Additional state laws have further reinforced the legality of all CBD products possessed within the United States that meet the low-THC criteria. While the vague connection to marijuana will never completely go away (both are derived from cannabis plants, despite radically different effects) the legal differences between high-CBD and high-THC products are well documented. With no legal problems (in the United States), no risk of abuse or negative mind-altering effects, and no known toxicity level from even large doses of CBD, the use of cannabidiol is a safe and positive approach to health.